Papers by Tom Hanen
Tämän sotatieteellisen johtamisen alan tutkimuksen tavoitteena on ollut luoda teoreettinen tarkas... more Tämän sotatieteellisen johtamisen alan tutkimuksen tavoitteena on ollut luoda teoreettinen tarkastelukehys yllätyksellisten ja dynaamisten tilanteiden johtamiseen. Tutkimuksen kohteena on yllättävä, jatkuvasti muuttuva, monia muuttujia sekä toimijoita ja toimijoiden välistä vuorovaikutusta sisältävä johtamistilanne. Tarkastelukehystä luotaessa tutkimuksessa on selvitetty, miksi tilanteet yllättävät, miten edellä kuvattuja tilanteita voisi hallita paremmin ja miten johtamisessa tulisi huomioida yllättävä ja dynaaminen konteksti. Tutkimustehtävä on sotilasjohtamisen ja sotataidon tutkimuksen mielenkiinnon kohteena kompleksisen toimintaympäristön, kuten taistelukentän, ja tällaisessa ympäristössä toimimisen paremman teoreettisen ymmärtämisen vuoksi. Lisäksi tutkimuksen keskeinen teema, yllätys, ei ole historian saatossa menettänyt merkitystään taistelujen voittamisen metodina. Tutkimusintressi on syntynyt myös käytännön viranomaistyön tarpeesta, sillä yllä kuvattuja monimuotoisia ja yl...
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The interest in the paradigm of complexity has steadily increased over the last decade. is can be... more The interest in the paradigm of complexity has steadily increased over the last decade. is can be seen, for example, as a signi cant increase in the number of academic publications covering complexity. Through the complexity perspective, researchers are striving to discover novel ways of understanding and operating in the dynamic and complex environment. e paradigm of complexity has also raised doubts among researchers. It has been asked whether complexity is truly o ering a new perspective, or is it just “old wine in a new bottle”. In this article, it is asserted that the critique is partially justi ed and the paradigm of complexity is in a need of systematic clari cation. We aim for clari cation by focusing on the utility of complexity worldview in military science. However, in Finnish military science complexity has so far remained a marginal theoretical approach. By analyzing complexity research done in English-language military science, we aim to build up and bring value to the...
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Page 1. MAANPUOLUSTUSKORKEAKOULU STRATEGIAN LAITOS JULKAISUSARJA 4: TYÖPAPEREITA No 40 NATIONAL D... more Page 1. MAANPUOLUSTUSKORKEAKOULU STRATEGIAN LAITOS JULKAISUSARJA 4: TYÖPAPEREITA No 40 NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF STRATEGIC AND DEFENCE STUDIES SERIES 4: WORKING PAPERS No 40 ...
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The interest in the paradigm of complexity has steadily increased over the last decade. This can ... more The interest in the paradigm of complexity has steadily increased over the last decade. This can be seen, for example, as a significant increase in the number of academic publications covering complexity. Through the complexity perspective, researchers are striving to discover novel ways of understanding and operating in the dynamic and complex environment. The paradigm of complexity has also raised doubts among researchers. It has been asked whether complexity is truly offering a new perspective, or is it just " old wine in a new bottle ". In this article, it is asserted that that the critique is partially justified and the paradigm of complexity is in a need of systematic clarification. We aim for clarification by focusing on the utility of complexity worldview in military science. However, in Finnish military science complexity has so far remained a marginal theoretical approach. By analyzing complexity research done in English-language military science, we aim to build up and bring value to the complexity strand within the Finnish military science. As a research method, a narrative review was chosen. We conclude that the complexity paradigm within military science is not a misstep, but a relevant perspective which in the near future can give important new insights of war and warfare.
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Julkaisusarja 4: …, Jan 1, 2010
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Yksittäisten onnettomuuksien tutkin, Jan 1, 2005
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Uncertainty is an important concept on many branches of science, and it is also vital when it com... more Uncertainty is an important concept on many branches of science, and it is also vital when it comes to problematic of the art of war. Uncertainty generally means the inability to predict the future and it is, therefore, in the core of decision-making process. In this paper uncertainty is revised holistically as a historical and current phenomenon, and the importance of uncertainty in management and leadership is also examined. Already the ancient Greeks created the concept of probability in be-tween uncertainty and certainty, and this made the estimations of certainty possible. Later, as the statistics developed, probability-based thinking was transformed into risk-analytical approach. The statistics-based approach spread within physics as well as to social sciences in the modern era. However, statistical techniques are often problematic in social sciences, because the complexity of social systems makes the “mechanistic” causal analysis impossible. Another problem is the fact that the actions of human beings are very uncertain. Prediction based on statistics does not reveal any details of occurrence which could be essential to management and leadership. Often a managerial occasion is also a unique situation. Nowadays it is common knowledge that especially the effects of the functions of the complex systems are impossible to predict. Complex systems contain many interacting parts and a lot of information energy. This interaction produces nonlinear effects that are not predictable. In research, organizations are seen as complex adaptive systems. The organization theory and paradigms of management and leadership have not focused on complexity approach so far. Mainstream research has instead stressed the predictability, order, stability and rationality in organizations. This article argues that the mainstream approach can be dangerous, because it does not correspond to complexities of reality, and eventually the ability to predict becomes an illusion guiding the organizations.
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European Group of Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium 2012 “Design!?”
Sub-theme 40: Build... more European Group of Organizational Studies (EGOS) Colloquium 2012 “Design!?”
Sub-theme 40: Building on the Work of Max Boisot: The Knowledge-based Study of Complex Organizations and Systems
Short paper
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In this article we aim to contribute to military science by examining the phenomenon of interweav... more In this article we aim to contribute to military science by examining the phenomenon of interweaving and its significance to safety, security, leadership and warfare. Interweaving is a synonym to complexity, which is the base theory of the article. In complexity thinking, reality is continuous change which is a consequence of the interminable interweaving of different things, events, values and interactions. This change is not linear or predictable, but emerges nonlinearly as a consequence of the interweaving. Emergence can either be experienced as a surprise, or it can be categorised as a chance or coincidence, mainly because our knowledge concerning things influencing another is incomplete. Interweaved phenomenon should be analysed holistically; that is to say, it should not be approached through reductive methods. We argue that safety, security, leadership and warfare are complex phenomena, and that is why they are only partly understandable through classic scientific methods. The management of interweaving is possible by either attempting to reduce it, or by absorbing it. As an example of the latter we examine the roles of resilience and leadership in the management of interweaving in an organisation. As a conclusion, we argue that because of the phenomenon of interweaving the future of an organisation must be unknown. Future circumstances cannot be predicted, nor is it possible to tell what will be crucial when these situations occur. Instead of making detailed arrangements and meticulous preparations, we should develop resilience and leadership in organisations to anticipate the unexpected.
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Teaching Documents by Tom Hanen
Diaesitys johtamisesta yllättävissä tilanteissa.
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Books by Tom Hanen
Faced with the Unexpected - Leadership in Unexpected and Dynamic Situa-tions: an Interpretation B... more Faced with the Unexpected - Leadership in Unexpected and Dynamic Situa-tions: an Interpretation Based on Complexity Theory
The aim of this military science research in leadership is to create a theoretical framework for leading in unexpected and dynamic situations. The research focuses on leadership exercised in situations that are unexpected, constantly changing, and that contain several variables and actors and how these interact with one another. When deciding on the framework, I sought to uncover why the situations were unex-pected, how such situations could be controlled better and what should be taken into account when operating in an unpredictable and dynamic context.
My research question seeks to enhance theoretical understanding within military leadership and military theory when operating in a complex environment, such as a battlefield. In addition, the central theme of this research, the element of surprise, has not lost its potency as a decisive factor in winning battles over the course of history. The research is also spurred on by the reality that authorities face in their work, as the complex and unexpected leadership situations described earlier also occur in disasters, crises and catastrophes both in Finnish and international environments.
The approach is hermeneutic, which means information has gradually been built up through interpretation from basic understanding to synthesis. The emphasis in the research is on theoretical analysis with empirical comparison only being used to as-sess the validity of the theoretical observations. The case study under scrutiny is the Indian Ocean earthquake that caused a tsunami on 26 December 2004 and more spe-cifically the leadership situation it created in Finland. To narrow down the literature, which is extensive and spans across several fields and areas of research, a bibliometric method of analysis was used.
As a consequence of the hermeneutic process, complexity forms the theoretical framework. Complexity theory proved itself useful in solving the research questions. As a result, the research deepens the observations made on complexity in earlier research by defining the concept of complexity, by analysing the phenomenon of complexity as an element of leadership and by examining the connection of various complex approaches to earlier research on organisations and leadership.
This research arrives at the interpretation that the complexity paradigm of organisa-tions is not a new field of research and that the same phenomenon has been the subject of research in organisation and leadership research for almost the entire 20th century in different fields of science, partly using the same but also different con-cepts. However, complexity cannot be reduced to rehashing old truths; it is about a continuum in the research of a particular phenomenon. The use of systems theory concepts in complexity research can reduce the perception of complexity's fundamentals especially in the field of social sciences.
Some of the central findings of the research are the interpretations of how complexi-ty takes form in a situation and how complexity is managed while exercising leadership. Predicting the interactions caused by complexity is very difficult and that is why such situations catch people off guard. The most important ways of managing com-plexity that came up in the research are diversifying your range of actions, group processes and finding the right balance between mechanic and organic ways of dealing with a situation.
What this research shows is that complexity may call upon leadership approaches that are in conflict with classic notions of leadership. In addition, the following interpretation was arrived at: when organising safety and security in society, what rises above all else in terms of importance is ensuring the interoperability of society's different components so that complex problems can be solved in unison. Indeed, safety and security must not be reduced to a separate, isolated sub-system or function of society, as this would only increase the complexity of society.
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Papers by Tom Hanen
Sub-theme 40: Building on the Work of Max Boisot: The Knowledge-based Study of Complex Organizations and Systems
Short paper
Teaching Documents by Tom Hanen
Books by Tom Hanen
The aim of this military science research in leadership is to create a theoretical framework for leading in unexpected and dynamic situations. The research focuses on leadership exercised in situations that are unexpected, constantly changing, and that contain several variables and actors and how these interact with one another. When deciding on the framework, I sought to uncover why the situations were unex-pected, how such situations could be controlled better and what should be taken into account when operating in an unpredictable and dynamic context.
My research question seeks to enhance theoretical understanding within military leadership and military theory when operating in a complex environment, such as a battlefield. In addition, the central theme of this research, the element of surprise, has not lost its potency as a decisive factor in winning battles over the course of history. The research is also spurred on by the reality that authorities face in their work, as the complex and unexpected leadership situations described earlier also occur in disasters, crises and catastrophes both in Finnish and international environments.
The approach is hermeneutic, which means information has gradually been built up through interpretation from basic understanding to synthesis. The emphasis in the research is on theoretical analysis with empirical comparison only being used to as-sess the validity of the theoretical observations. The case study under scrutiny is the Indian Ocean earthquake that caused a tsunami on 26 December 2004 and more spe-cifically the leadership situation it created in Finland. To narrow down the literature, which is extensive and spans across several fields and areas of research, a bibliometric method of analysis was used.
As a consequence of the hermeneutic process, complexity forms the theoretical framework. Complexity theory proved itself useful in solving the research questions. As a result, the research deepens the observations made on complexity in earlier research by defining the concept of complexity, by analysing the phenomenon of complexity as an element of leadership and by examining the connection of various complex approaches to earlier research on organisations and leadership.
This research arrives at the interpretation that the complexity paradigm of organisa-tions is not a new field of research and that the same phenomenon has been the subject of research in organisation and leadership research for almost the entire 20th century in different fields of science, partly using the same but also different con-cepts. However, complexity cannot be reduced to rehashing old truths; it is about a continuum in the research of a particular phenomenon. The use of systems theory concepts in complexity research can reduce the perception of complexity's fundamentals especially in the field of social sciences.
Some of the central findings of the research are the interpretations of how complexi-ty takes form in a situation and how complexity is managed while exercising leadership. Predicting the interactions caused by complexity is very difficult and that is why such situations catch people off guard. The most important ways of managing com-plexity that came up in the research are diversifying your range of actions, group processes and finding the right balance between mechanic and organic ways of dealing with a situation.
What this research shows is that complexity may call upon leadership approaches that are in conflict with classic notions of leadership. In addition, the following interpretation was arrived at: when organising safety and security in society, what rises above all else in terms of importance is ensuring the interoperability of society's different components so that complex problems can be solved in unison. Indeed, safety and security must not be reduced to a separate, isolated sub-system or function of society, as this would only increase the complexity of society.
Sub-theme 40: Building on the Work of Max Boisot: The Knowledge-based Study of Complex Organizations and Systems
Short paper
The aim of this military science research in leadership is to create a theoretical framework for leading in unexpected and dynamic situations. The research focuses on leadership exercised in situations that are unexpected, constantly changing, and that contain several variables and actors and how these interact with one another. When deciding on the framework, I sought to uncover why the situations were unex-pected, how such situations could be controlled better and what should be taken into account when operating in an unpredictable and dynamic context.
My research question seeks to enhance theoretical understanding within military leadership and military theory when operating in a complex environment, such as a battlefield. In addition, the central theme of this research, the element of surprise, has not lost its potency as a decisive factor in winning battles over the course of history. The research is also spurred on by the reality that authorities face in their work, as the complex and unexpected leadership situations described earlier also occur in disasters, crises and catastrophes both in Finnish and international environments.
The approach is hermeneutic, which means information has gradually been built up through interpretation from basic understanding to synthesis. The emphasis in the research is on theoretical analysis with empirical comparison only being used to as-sess the validity of the theoretical observations. The case study under scrutiny is the Indian Ocean earthquake that caused a tsunami on 26 December 2004 and more spe-cifically the leadership situation it created in Finland. To narrow down the literature, which is extensive and spans across several fields and areas of research, a bibliometric method of analysis was used.
As a consequence of the hermeneutic process, complexity forms the theoretical framework. Complexity theory proved itself useful in solving the research questions. As a result, the research deepens the observations made on complexity in earlier research by defining the concept of complexity, by analysing the phenomenon of complexity as an element of leadership and by examining the connection of various complex approaches to earlier research on organisations and leadership.
This research arrives at the interpretation that the complexity paradigm of organisa-tions is not a new field of research and that the same phenomenon has been the subject of research in organisation and leadership research for almost the entire 20th century in different fields of science, partly using the same but also different con-cepts. However, complexity cannot be reduced to rehashing old truths; it is about a continuum in the research of a particular phenomenon. The use of systems theory concepts in complexity research can reduce the perception of complexity's fundamentals especially in the field of social sciences.
Some of the central findings of the research are the interpretations of how complexi-ty takes form in a situation and how complexity is managed while exercising leadership. Predicting the interactions caused by complexity is very difficult and that is why such situations catch people off guard. The most important ways of managing com-plexity that came up in the research are diversifying your range of actions, group processes and finding the right balance between mechanic and organic ways of dealing with a situation.
What this research shows is that complexity may call upon leadership approaches that are in conflict with classic notions of leadership. In addition, the following interpretation was arrived at: when organising safety and security in society, what rises above all else in terms of importance is ensuring the interoperability of society's different components so that complex problems can be solved in unison. Indeed, safety and security must not be reduced to a separate, isolated sub-system or function of society, as this would only increase the complexity of society.